I'll Tell You Later
by Cally Chloe
Summary: Companion piece to Reading The Harry Potter Books series. All of the side stories that wouldn't fit into the main story, and all the "I'll tell you later's" go here.
1. Traumatizing Experience

_A/N- Hello one and all, and welcome to the companion peice to my _Reading the Harry Potter Books _seiries companion piece. All of the "I'll tell you later"'s (and maybe some other stories I make up) will all be right here, for those of you burning with curiosity. Yes, I know I should be taking my break, but I had to at least start this. WARNING: There MAY be some OOC-ness, but if there is it will be for comic effect and I'm sorry if you don't like it. Okay, onto the story(ies)!_

_Disclaimer- I'm innocent! HP belongs to JKR, and the series this belongs to is mine, so there is no stealing AT ALL. _

I'll Tell You Later

Chapter 1- Traumatizing Experience

_"Uh, yeah, Sirius had a... ah, traumatizing event with a cat as a child..."_

"What happened?" Lily asked, skeptically, not buying this story one bit. Expecially since James stumbled and stuttered over the excuse.

Sirius gave James a _what kind of excuse was that? _kind of look, to which James replied with a _I don't know, it was all that came to mind _look in return.

"Er... I don't exactly like to talk about it..." Sirius began, throwing up his pitiful excuse.

"Don't be silly, Sirius, _I'll_ tell her, since you can't _bear_ to do it yourself." Remus said, a glint in his eyes.

_Oh god._ Sirius thought. _It's payback! Noo, Moony, I'm sorry for all those 'time of the month' jokes, and pranking you when we were younger, and peeing on you in my Padfoot form! Just... please, don't do this! _But either Remus did not get the mental pleading, or he ignored them.

Harry looked like he was settling himself in for a good story, trying to suppress the smirk on his face. "Go on, Remus." He said, encouragingly to anyone listening, buit to Sirius he was signing his death warrent.

"Well, when Sirius was five, his Aunt Margret had... well she had a lot of cats..."

_Oh dear god, kill me now..._

"And it was this big Black family reunion, and Sirius was out near this big tree..."

_I need a rock to hide under..._

"And, of course, Aunt Margret had brought _all_ of her cats. Well, Sirius' Uncle Jargon, opposite side of the family, brought his dog..."

_Say no more, I promise I'll never make fun of you again..._

"So, needless to say, the dog began chasing the cats, and you know cats, they climb trees to get away." Remus was having fun. He could see Sirius' pleading expression, but payback was payback, and he was taking this chance before it could go away. "The only tree was the one Sirius was under, and so the cats were all rushing for him. He got scared and ran."

Sirius looked up from where he had been previously hanging his head. _That's it?_

"That's it?" Lily asked.

Harry could see that the malicious streak was still in Moony's eyes. He was saving the final blow.

"Oh, right." Remus said, looking over at Sirius who was frozen in fear. "When I say _got scared,_ I mean his pants got soaked."

He paused for severus snorts of laughter and one mortified groan, before continuing.

"Funnily enough, Aunt Margret had been feeding her cats food that smelled like, well, urine, and so they had to use Sirius to get them to come back down off the tree."

Everyone save Sirius was laughing now. Lily was quite sure Remus had made it all up, but the story was probably better than the real truth.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

(_A/N- This one isn't really an explanation, but I needed to add it. It goes along with the theme of the chapter_)

_"James doesn't like Goblins... he thinks they make the carts go fast on purpose and that they're out to get him."_

"Dad! Dad!" A six-year-old James Potter yelled, tearing into the hallway leading to the front door. James' father stood, one hand on the doorknob, on his way out.

"Yes, James?" he asked, scooping up his son and tossing him into the air before catching him again.

"Can I come with you to Diagon Alley today?" James asked excitedly.

"I'm only going to the bank..." his father said, but his son's eyes lit up with excitement.

"I've never been there, though. Please take me?" James said, pulling a puppy-dog face. laughing at his son's antics, James' father told him to put on his shoes, and they apparated away.

James, being used to side-along apparation, wobbled a bit on the cobbled stones of the alley before regaining his balance and following his father to the big white building. Gringotts. He was so excited that he failed to notice the goblin guard standing outside the doors. James looked at the writing on the second set of doors. After trying to read it, he asked his father to read it for him.

James frowned at the poem. It sounded kind of mean, from what he could tell.

His father led him to the counter, where James had to stay back a few feet to see over it. He wished he hadn't.

There, conversing with his father, was the kind of monster his parents told him stories about. The teeth were pointed, his lips pulled back into a smirk. It had long fingers which it tapped on the counter, and it's voice was shrewd. James did not like this thing. He remembered his father telling him about the goblins that ran this place, but he didn't think they'd look so evil.

He cluthched his father's pant leg as the goblin called for another one to take them to the vault.

He did not like this place. It looked like the goblin was taking them down to the dungeons where they'd be locked up forever. He felt very bad getting into a cart with the goblin.

The cart hurled through the passages. James probably would have been having fun if the goblin wasn't in the cart with them. Speaking of which, it wasn't even _steering!_

James' mind was thick with fear, and he clutched his father's robes now.

He felt like he was going to be sick, and when he finally managed to chocke out that he wanted to go slower, the Goblin seemed to grin maliciously and say, "One speed only."

And then it felt like they only began to go faster.

He leaned over the side of the cart, thinking he was probably going to hurl, and trying to see if he could see the dungeon the goblin was taking them to, when _wham!_ They spun around a tight corner and James stumbled to the other side and almost tipped out, when his father grabbed him and pulled him back in. James breathed a great sigh of relief, and glared at the goblin. He _knew _the goblin was behind this somehow!

Finally, they got to his father's vault, he scooped up some coins, and they left, going back up to the main floor. Needless to say, whenever James needed money in the future, he would have someone go down there for him. _He_ wasn't being left alone with those goblins!


	2. Chocolate Cravings

_A/N- Hello, all! And yet another chapter awaits for you to read. Once again, not exactly an 'I'll tell you later', but just some funny stuff I thought I'd elaborate on. Happy reading, and of course thanks for anything you did that would leave a notice in my e-mail._

_Disclaimer- My disclaimer muse has temporarily run out. Just know that I by no way own Harry Potter. Thanks and have a nice day. Or night. Or afternoon. Or that really early morning period where you accidently woke up and had to use the bathroom and tried and failed to go back to sleep so you got on the computer. Hey look, my muse is back..._

I'll Tell You Later

Chapter 2- Chocolate Cravings

_"Never trust a twin prankster."_

"Soooo... James, old buddy, pal, friend, mate..."

James Potter and Sirius black currently sat in their corner of the common room. Peter was down in the kitchens and Remus was off to wherever Remus goes when he's recuperating after... _that time_ every month.

James sighed and put down his quill. It seemed he would not be doing his charms essay tonight. "What do you want, Padfoot?"

"So... you know you're my friend, right?"

"Oh Merlin, what did you do now?"

"Nothing!" Sirius said quickly. "Or, not yet..." he reconsidered. "Anyway! Let's say we have some fun, huh?" He asked, brightening considerably.

"Sirius, I've put this essay off for too long, it's due tomorrow and I've still got a foot and a half to write!"

Sirius gave him the puppy dog face. "Pleeeeeaaaaseeeee...?"

James sighed. He was a pushover. "Fine. What is it?"

Sirius rubbed his hands together and laughed softly, but maniacally. _What did I get myself into..._ James thought.

It was monday morning. Phase Numero Uno: Look-A-Like was about to begin. James silently wondered why Sirius liked using spanish numbers in his plans, but thought that it was a story for another time.

He pulled at the clothes he was wearing. Not that they were uncomfortable, just... different. It seemed that Slytherin pureblood robes were different than Gryffindor pureblood robes. Not that he was wearing Slytherin robes, mind you, but the Black Family were Slytherins, after all, and right now he was wearing Sirius' clothing. It seemed Sirius had two pairs of the same robes, and so they were wearing them for this occasion.

James' hair had been lenthened by a spell, and the lenth kept it a bit tamer. Not that this would last - he did have Potter hair, after all, and any attempts to cut it off or tame it would soon prove fruitless, as it would spring back to normal.

For some reason, Sirius had muggle contacts, as he called them, that were like mini glasses that fit into your eyes. James had protested at first, but at last Sirius had pressured him into doing it, and once he got used to them it wasn't that bad.

They were apparently colored contacts, and so now insted of their natural hazel, they were the color of Sirius' eyes.

The two Gryffindors now looked like twins.

"Why do I have to look like _you_, anyway?" James whispered to his friend as sirius put on the finishing touches.

"Becasue I am the better looking, of course." Sirius replied, self-assuredly. "Okay... done. Time for Phase Numero Uno to begin."

Sirius strode into the Great Hall, where everyone was happily eating breakfast. It was not unusual for Sirius Black to come in late, and so no one paid him any attention. He sat down with his friend Remus, who was back from his 'trip', but looked a little pale. James Potter sat across form them, eating everything in hos reach. This, too, was a normal occurence, and breakfast seemed to continue without a hitch.

Until five seconds later when a second Sirius Black came in through the doors.

Those who had seen Sirius ented the first time did a double take, looking first at the Sirius at the Gryffindor table, and then at the Sirius standing in the door. They nudged their friends, who nudged their friends, and so on, until everyone was looking at the Sirius-es.

The Sirius at the door stalked into the Great Hall, his eyes locked on his look-a-like. When he got there, James Potter and Remus Lupin stared up at him in shock, but the Sirius at the table didn;t know what was going on until The standing Sirius lifted him up off the bench and growled, "Who the bloody hell are you!"

Sirius pulled himself free and gawked at the other, before getting angry. "I'm Sirius Black."

"_You're_ an imposter!"

"No, _you_ are!"

Both snarled at the other.

"Prove it."

"How?"

"I dunno, give me a birth certificate or something!"

"Why? So you can take it and say it's yours?"

James stopped eating and looked at Remus in a dumbfounded expression. Remus was staring wide-eyed at both Sirius-es.

He stood and got between them.

"Which one of you is the real Sirius?" he asked.

"_I_ am!" They shouted in unison.

Remus sighed. "I don't have time for this today... Alright, what are our nicknames?"

"Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs." said one, while the other looked confused. "Ha!" Said the one who had answered. "I win."

"Not just yet." Remus continued. "I know the right Sirius has been keeping count. How many times has Lily rejected James?"

"Two-hundred and seventy-eight times." Said the one who didn't answer the first time. The one who did was counting on his fingers.

Remus frowned. He needed something only Sirius had ever done, heard, said, or witnessed...

"When did I develop my chocolate craving?"

"Third year, when you came back from _that one_ furry little problem buisness." They said in unison.

Remus knew that one well. It was when he had come back and eaten chocolate that Sirius, joking around, had asked if he was secretly a girl and was going through his period. Remus had been so shocked that he had accidently let slip that he was a werewolf, not 'some _bloody_ girl...' ... in more ways than one.

He sighed and flopped down into his seat dramatically. James seemed unperturbed that his best mate was going through a crisis and was back to his food. Remus smirked.

"Could you pass the toast, _Peter._"

"Sure, Re- Uh-oh." said 'James', biting his lip and looking up at the two glaring Sirius-es.

"Pete!" They yelled.

"We _told_ you!"

"Don't answer if he calls you Peter!"

"Now this whole thing is ruined." They said in unison, sitting down in a huff.

Their spectators laughed, having realised that it was just another one of the marauder's jokes, and went back to breakfast.

"How'd you know?" One of the Sirius-es asked as he took out contacts.

Remus, his smirk still in place, was only too happy to answer. "Well, first of all, 'James' didn't even notice that Lily had sat down next to him."


	3. Boom

_A/N- This is for _**Rue-the-Marauder**_, who gave the idea for Remus' stress building up over time and just exploding, as shown in Chapter 10 of Reading the Chamber of Secrets. She had more to her story, though, and I wanted to write her a chapter in this- it's more of a one-shot, really. I'm quite proud of it. _

_That said, I would also like to open the floodgates for requests. Whether it be an addition to this fic or a one-shot all it's own, I will do my best to write something for you. It doesn't even have to be about the Marauders. I found it was great, writing for someone to fufil a request yet going my own way with it. This also comes with a warning that I have absolutely no idea when it may be finished, but if you give me a propmt I agree to do, it will be done... eventually. That said, on to the chapter!_

_Disclaimer- You really think that __this__ amateur piece of work belongs to J. K.? Hah. Hahahaha. Good one. _

I'll Tell you Later

Chapter 3- Boom

_"Poor Remy. Lots of stress just builds up, and then... boom."_

Thursday morning dawned bright and sunny, a fact that made every self-respecting teen or pre-teen in the castle groan as they set about getting ready for classes at the ungodly time of the morning.

"Oi, Pete! Geddup, we've got Charms first this morning!" Sirius yelled - much too loudly, in Remus' opinion.

The loud snoring continued.

He and James exchanged a glance - a sleepy, 'what can you do?' - and wished Sirius good luck as they stumbled off toward the showers. Ten minutes later as Remus walked out of the loo combing his dripping hair, he still heard the water pouring in James' shower. He hoped the other boy hadn't fallen asleep while he was in there _again._

Remus shook his head like a wet dog, something that the other boys found extremely amusing given his... condition.

He resumed combing as he entered the dorm that the Marauders shared. Sirius seemed to be at his wit's end, and it appeared that Peter was soaked by water, covered in a few thrown pillows, and an alarm clock was ringing annoyingly. Remus even saw the bottom of a tuba sticking out from under the bed, and he wondered how he hadn't heard this, one room away.

"I don't know what the hell will wake him up anymore; he sleeps like a _dead rock!_"

Not bothering to point out that rocks weren't alive to begin with to earn the status of being dead, he crept up to the bed, and said in a whisper:

"They're serving bacon at breakfast."

The two boys stepped back, and James was just coming back from his shower in time to see the miracle of how fast Peter could move when there was food to be eaten. He zoomed out of the room, leaving an honest-to-Merlin _draft_ in his wake that fluttered the hair and robes on the three boys, shaking their heads in silent amusement.

They finished getting ready and headed down. Remus was stuck in between the two as they went on and on about something- Pirates versus Ninjas, or something ridiculous like that. Sirius was siding with Pirates, and James, Ninjas.

"What do you think, Remy? The suave marauders of olde-"

"I heard that silent 'e' on the end, Sirius," Remus glared accusingly. He already had a headache from their debate, and the ringing of that alarm clock was still reverbarating in his head.

"It's cooler that way!" Sirius protested. "Anyway, the suave marauders of olde, fighting with swords for their loot-" He grinned rougishly, stepping in front of Remus to hold an imaginary sword at the ready for battle. Remus continued to walk passed him.

"Or," James now took up the narration, "The silent creepers of the night, swooping around and assasinating people before they know what hit them! Hwaaaah!" He too struck a pose, his hands flat and in a sill karate move, one leg hanging by the knee in the air. Remus continued on by passed him, too.

"You know, Ninjas sound awful _Slytherin_, to me." Sirius said snidely, jogging to catch up with Remus. "Pirates face their enemies fairly, brave like _true_ Gryffindors." He smirked at James' gobsmacked expression.

"Yeah? Well... Ninjas are just cooler! They keep to the shadows, and can never lose."

"Yeah, slithering like _snakes._"

"I'll have you kn-"

Remus barged through the Great Hall doors, trying to calm his raging headache. Unfortunately, most of the school was in here, chatting away as if perfectly okay with the fact that they were making someone's headache _worse._ He grumbled to himself and sat down.

"Oh, hey Remus."

He glanced up. "Hey Lily," He offered wearily to the redhead, currently munching on some toast.

"Hey, are you okay?" She asked, keeping her voice down, looking concerned. He smiled at her gratefully.

"Got a bit of a headache."

Lily grimaced knowingly. "Sorry," she said, barely audible. "I hope you feel better."

Remus nodded and smiled again in thanks, and was just thinking that maybe this morning wouldn't be so bad-

"Hey, EVANS!"

"Oh, Merlin," The two sighed at the same time.

James was rushing over, already pulling a hand through his hair. Sirius trailed at a good distance behind, a smirk on his face.

"You're looking _exceptionally_ beautiful today, Evans," James complimented, a charming smile on his face. She waited, her arms crossed tightly, glaring daggers out of green eyes. James faltered. "Well, not that you're not _always_ exceptionally beautiful, because you are, and I didn't mean it to come out like that... I- I mean-" He was blushing, not even meeting her eyes anymore. He trudged away. "Well, I bulloxed _that_ up." He said, as he got back to Sirius. The straighter-haired one snickered in response.

No one but Remus had noticed the pleased look that had come into Lily's eyes when James said she always looked beautiful. He doubted she knew it herself.

He made to stand, and she gave him a one-armed hug. "Thanks again," he said, walking away. _Denial is not just a river, Lily._

He made his way to charms, arriving at the locked classroom door fifteen minutes early. He tapped his foot impatiently - which was odd, normally he was a very patient young man - until Flitwick opened his door. He gave a high pitched sqeak that went straight to Remus' raw headache. He tried not to show his wince.

Five minutes later, after everyone had piled into the classroom, Flitwick started the lesson. He was nice, friendly, intelligent, and Remus respected the man. Held him in high reguard. But the _voice..._

The worst class to have during headaches.

A few misplaced cheering charms later, Remus was saddled with a limp and giggly James, who couldn't seem to walk on his own. His knees were weak from the happy endorphins the spell created and let loose, and Remus had to keep him upright.

"Ha ha, look at those walls, Rem-em... memy!" James laughed and pointed at a perfectly normal stretch of wall, causing many odd looks. "Aren't they so funny? Haha, ha ha! Hey woah, walls, stop mov-vi-ving..." He rocked back and fourth, his eyes growing wide. He stumbled and took a dive for the floor. It took all of what Remus had to keep him from hitting the ground, yanking him back up into standing position.

"A little help, here, Sirius?" Remus gritted out, trying to keep balance for both himself, and the boy on a happy-high. Sirius looked over, looking content with the world.

"Yeah, sure Rem," He said, smiling, reaching over to grab James' right arm.

Remus almost wished he'd been hit by a charm, too, so he wouldn't have to deal with the negative emotions from this headache. But, he was always the responsible one, so just as his partner was getting ready to cast, he looked over and saw James hit the ground, laughing madly. He sighed, pushed Peter over to work with Yangleton, from Ravenclaw, and asked Flitwick if he could take James to the Hospital wing. Sirius complacently tagged along.

As they dragged a drunk-looking James into the Hospital wing, Madam Pomfrey was busy healing another giggling student- _Oh, that's right,_ Remus remembered. _Greenly got hit with one, too._

Pomfrey rolled her eyes at her new patient, and guestured for them to drop him off on the bed across from the blonde girl she was tending to. The matron was grumbling under her breath, and Remus heard something about _not teaching cheering charms until at least next year, when they can hold a wand straight and know not to put so much power into it grumble grumble._

Pomfrey was normally sweet, if not a bit stern. _She must be having the same sort of day _I_ am,_ Remus thought.

He and Sirius waited until Pomfrey had healed James, and by them Sirius' charm had worn off and the bell was just ringing. They hurried to be able to make it to their next classes- Divination for the darker haired ones, Arithmancy for the lighter.

Complex algorithms and theories on how to make spells work and creating new ones did not agree with the pounding in Remus' temples. He collapsed at the lunch table an hour and a half later, stuffing a roll in his face after eating nothing for breakfast.

Peter soon joined him, and a few people nearby scooted away as though afraid he would eat their hands off if they were too close. For a small boy, he could sure _eat._ Remus decided to leave before he could grow _too_ nauseated, on top of his headache.

_The library should be quiet enough,_ he decided. Unfortunately Irma Pince had just finished yelling at two girls giggling about something in a pink journal, and had sent them out for 'disrupting the peace. She was in a foul mood, and she swooped down in all her righteous fury when he accidently dropped a book on the floor. He recieved a thorough tongue-lashing from her, and was shooed out of his sanctuary.

Care of Magical Creatures would be nice, but the sun blared into his eyes and sent stabs of pain to the center of his brain. It didn't help that they were studying Jobberknolls*, which were completely silent until they died, where it lead out a long and loud scream of every sound it had ever heard- backwards. It was maddening, and he'd be surprised if his facial muscles did anything other than wince for the rest of his life.

He sighed in relief when they got back to the cool shade of the school, out of hearing distance of the Jobberknolls. James and Sirius had started up their Pirate/Ninja debate again, and dragged Peter into it. Not wanting to risk angering either of them, Pete compromised: A Ninjirate.

The two were now trying to decide whether Peter's made up _thing_ was closer to a ninja or a pirate.

"Well, _Ninja_ is first in the name."

"Yeah, but _Pirate_ has more letters in that name. That makes them superior."

Remus was close to clapping his hands over his ears and singing _LALALALALA! I CAN'T HEAR YOU!_ at the top of his lungs. It was a very close thing.

They got to potions, a double lesson of horrible fumes and melted cauldrons. Slughorn and the rest of the room were sweating at the heat, fanning themselves with their hands. The only people doing it right were Lily and Snape, because Remus had finally given up trying for the day. He sat in his chair, ankles crossed over the other and put on the table.

They were carefully removed when an acid green liquid began bubbling from Pete's cauldron.

Everyone was glad to escape when it was all over, but none so much as glad as Remus. He almost skipped. _Almost._

He put off doing his homework and went straight to lie down in his comfy four-poster. He sunk into the matress and pulled his sheets up over his head, trying to relax-

And of course, that was when the other three Maruaders walked in, joking and laughing and yelling and generally having a good time.

Except for one.

Remus reached under his bed to pull out his chocolate stash. If anything could cure this, it was chocolate. Chocolate was healer of all.

He pulled out the box, brought it under the covers, and slipped off the lid.

He went still.

Crumbs of his delicious, milk-chocolate lifesaver were all that was left. A few chocolate smeared fingerprints alerted him to the culprits immediately.

His bed shook, the windows rattled in their frames, and a magical wind flung the sheets off of Remus' head. His hair flipped in the gust created by his magic swirling around him. The other three stopped and stared, wide-eyed, at Remus' loss of control.

They'd seen him mad before. Pissed. It only happened every once in a while. This was the third time it had since they'd known him.

Remus was a calm, gentle, nice individual, who bottled bad emotions up inside. Eventually, the bottle got too full, and overflowed with an outburst of pent-up agression.

They had never seen it get this bad, though.

Remus smiled maliciously at their startled expressions, and conjured a bat. Not the nocturnal animal, hanging from caves and using echolocation to find bugs. No. The aluminum, made-of-stuff-that-can-crack-skulls, baseball bat.

He let it fall heavily into his palm a few times, the smack of bat against flesh echoing throughout the room.

Luckily, the other Marauders had planned for this. (Well, Sirius and James had, anyway).

Sirius began shouting impressive-sounding orders. "Evasive manuver, code three, this is not a drill, I repeat, _not_ a-"

The bat connected with the side of his head. James managed a silencing charm just as Remus began to yell.

"I have put up with you three _ALL DAY!_ The noise, the headache, the stupid PIRATES AND _BLOODY_ NINJAS! I actually like _ZOMBIES_, but did _ANYONE __BOTHER_ to ask what _I_ thought? _NO!_" He yelled, chasing after Sirius and hitting him on the back and shoulders. "Even after I do _EVERYTHING_ for you- homework, waking up Pete, and dragging _YOUR_ bloody _INTOXICATED-ON-CHEERING-CHARMS-__ARSE_ up _THREE_ flights of stairs to the hospital wing!"

He had started going after James with the bat now, but he was faster than Sirius and could dodge most of the hits.

"That's not all!" he continued to shout, reminding Peter of annoying commercials on his Mum's telly back at home, "You drag _ME_ into ALL of _YOUR_ PRANKS, and WHO gets in trouble for it? WE _ALL_ DO. Not the two who came UP with the pranks, _NO-O._" He stands there, looking sarcastic, seeming not to notice when Sirius began conjuring a titanium bomb shelter. "The one who TRIES to talk you out of it gets detention too. DETENTION! I came here to learn, and NOW _I'VE_ got DEMERITS! DEMERITS, I TELL YOU!

"But that's not even IT! Do I _EVER_ get a '_Thank you Remus_', or an, '_I'm sorry, Remus_'? _NO!_ I _DON'T!_"

He continued to rage as James sent a _Colloportus_ at the door, just in case anyone tried to get in. Sirius was pushing Peter into the bomb shelter, and as James made to close the door behind them all, he saw Remus' eyes flash amber. The heavy door closed with a _bang_.

Sirius whistled lowly. "Wow. That's the worst I've ever seen him."

"I know," James agreed, frowning slightly. "He must have been having a _really_ bad day. And we didn't even notice."

They were disappointed with themselves. Even Peter, who, admittedly, was the one who had eaten the chocolate, thus setting the Werewolf off.

They waited for the metal _clangs_ to cease, which were likely Remus hitting the shelter with the bat.

... _And_ a few more minutes, just to be safe.

But _just in case_, they sent out Peter first. Pete looked around, gave a sigh or relief, and gestured for the other two to emerge. They did so.

Remus was asleep, curled up tightly around his bat like it was a teddy, breathing softly. The three boys levitated him onto his bed, carefully extracted the bat, and left him alone, going downstairs to do their homework that Remus may want to look at later. Or not. These _were_ Sirius, James, and Peter, after all; not exactly the brightest _lumos _from the wand.

Remus woke up the next morning, his headache back with a vengeance. It was always like that after he exploded. He kept his eyes closed for a few minutes, sighing periodically. Finally, he decided he'd best get up. He owed the other Marauders an apology for snapping like tha-

He squinted. It was much too bright to be six in the morning. Remus began to panic. He'd overslept? And the other boys hadn't woken him?

He was almost mad - before he saw his night stand. A potion rested on a folded piece of parchment. He recognized the color for what it was; A headache remedy. He downed it without a thought, and then opened the letter with a much clearer head.

_Remy,_ it began. Remus recognized James' handwriting.

_This is a Headache Remedy, as you've probably already figured out. I nicked it from Pomfrey's cupboard, and before you get on me about stealing, think: Would you really have trusted one of _us _to brew it right?_

He had a good point. Remus forgave him for stealing the potion.

_Also, we let you sleep in. We figured you deserved it, for everything you've done for us. We're going to tell all the teachers that you've got a fever - Dumbledore already knew the real reason when we went to tell him. His eyes got that little twinkle in them. I don't think he minds you skipping classes for the day. Especially since the big cheese is tomorrow._

The 'big cheese' was their code word for the full moon. Ever since Pete brought up that he wished the moon was really made out of cheese. Some muggle expression, apparently.

The handwriting suddenly switched over to Sirius':

_**We figure you were just PWSing; Pre Werewolf Syndrome-ing. **_

Remus rolled his eyes. Sirius never failed to make jokes about his 'time of the month'.

_Anyway, we just wanted to say..._

_W__**e**_'_r__e __**s**__o__r__**r**__y__._

_James, __**Sirius,**__and Peter_

Remus smiled. They weren't so bad.

He might just keep them around, yet.

_A/N- The Jobberknoll comes from Rowling's book: Fantastic Beasts and where to find them. Her full definition below:_

**"**The Jobberknoll (northern Europe and America) is a tiny blue, speckled bird which eats small insects. It makes no sound until the moment of it's death, at which point it lets out a long scream made up of every sound it has ever heard, regurgitated backwards. Jobberknoll feathers are used in Truth Serums and Memory Potions.**"**


	4. A Little While

_A/N- *dodges all thrown objects* Hello, everyone. I want to thank you for clicking on this, especially considering my extended absence. _

_It's been two years since I first uploaded Reading the Sorcerer's Stone to this site. It was my first uploaded fanfiction ever. I'd like to say I've come a long way since then, and I feel as though I have. I admit I have a fair bit of nostalgia surrounding it, even as it currently stands incomplete. _

_Take this as a bittersweet prequel, of sorts._

_I'd like to thank everyone – reviewers, alerters, and readers alike. Thank you for being so encouraging and helping me to realize more about myself than I expected to find just by posting to this site. You don't know how influential you are._

_A very happy New Year to you. Cheers._

_Disclaimer – I only own the rights to tug maliciously at Harry's heartstrings, but not the boy himself, nor anything surrounding him. _

I'll Tell You Later

Chapter 4- A Little While

It was extremely early in the morning. Three-thirty, to be specific. The quiet of the dark dormitory was disrupted only by the snores of one of the occupants. It was Christmas day, and the house elves had recently been by Gryffindor tower to place all gifts at the feet of the four-posters of the young men who resided in this room.

A mouse - or rather, a rat - may have been stirring, but he was not here.

Suddenly, there was a bright flash of light, and a figure appeared in the middle of the room. 

The figure tensed, wary and nervous, studying the beds surrounding him against the walls for any signs of moment. His breath caught as sheets rustled, but it was just one of them turning over in sleep.

He released his breath in a rush of air, and tip-toed over to see who the bed belonged to.

It was a black-haired young man, splayed out and taking up the bed with haphazardly placed limbs. He breathed softly, his lips barely parted.

The figure had to catch his breath again. He closed his eyes, wondering if he could really do this.

He'd been planning this for months. He, Ron, and Hermione had worked out most all of the details, had been carefully creating the spell that would get them here, had gone over everything that could go wrong and came up with ways to bypass most of them.

But now, standing here, looking down at this man who, with his eyes closed, could pass as his reflection while sleeping… could he sit around, talking to him and joking with him and telling him all about his life because he would never get to experience it, and not fall apart?

Merlin, he felt like doing that already, right here on the wooden dormitory floor.

There was also Sirius to think about, and Remus, who slept peacefully in beds on either side of James', and Lily, who was just one tower over and he would be seeing her, too, in only a few hours' time.

He pressed cold fingers to his face. He was suddenly glad he had requested to come a few hours earlier than his friends.

He took steadying breaths, before reaching into his bag and pulling out a wrapped gift. It was hard and book-shaped. He carefully slid it under the gifts at the foot of James' bed, so that it rested on the bottom of the pile.

He took another fortifying breath, and pulled himself together. He had told himself this would happen. He thought he would be ready. He thought he could withstand the painful _pang_ing in his chest and heart at the sight of them.

He knew now that he would never be ready.

But it was time to be a Gryffindor, to plunge in and do it because there was no turning back now.

It was time to make his parents proud. Time to show them who he was and what he accomplished. He managed to conjure a smile.

The bag was placed in the corner, his wand pulled from his pocket in order to tap on his head. The feel of the magic trickling down him and taking his appearance with it, making him not much more than an oversized chameleon, steeled his resolve.

It would be nice, having his parents knowing who he was.

If only for a little while.


End file.
